Outsourcing in the pharmaceutical industry, until recently, has been largely confined to commercial manufacturing, packaging, and support for clinical trials. The industry is rapidly changing; companies are facing rising costs, a fast evolving global market, and weak pipelines. Many companies are outsourcing activities that have historically been kept in house, freeing themselves to concentrate on their core competencies and become more agile in responding to changing conditions. These new outsourcing models include discovery and R&D, regulatory, chemistry and manufacturing controls (CMC) support, and back office sales and marketing activities—virtually no activity is out of bounds. Instead of building or acquiring specialized technologies and facilities, many companies are seeking access to them elsewhere. Smart outsourcing provides the following operational and business benefits: To learn more about smart outsourcing and what the operational and business benefits are, check out this white paper by OQSIE

World Courier is transporting Zika diagnostic test kits to and from South America. Companies trust us to transport and store time- and temperature-sensitive products, and the urgent and sensitive Zika diagnostic test kits are no exception! In the midst of concerns, especially for the well-being of athletes, World Courier’s capability and expertise are another reason to have peace of mind. The Zika virus was a huge fear for the 2016 Olympic summer games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the white paper below, World Courrier explains the process and challenges of transporting Zika tests for the 2016 Olympic games to ensure the safety of the Olympic athletes and those attending. Take a look at the full white paper below!

This article first appeared in BioPharm International, October 1, Caroline Hroncich Today pharma companies are faced with an ever-changing market that includes increased regulatory challenges, globalization, and heightened competition (1). Biopharma companies are rapidly expanding into emerging markets where there are new opportunities for drug development. Conversely, logistics companies must keep up with the demand, ensuring all storage technology is equipped to retain the safety and efficacy of a drug by the time it reaches the end of its journey. This article by World Courier delves into these relevant industry topics: Common considerations for shipping biopharmaceuticals; Temperature management in extreme climates; Recent advancements; and Looking ahead. Learn more about optimizing temperature control for biopharmaceuticals in the article below!

Organizations entering into an ERP project begin their journey by making a business case for ERP. The effort involves determining an expected return on investment, anticipating total costs and fully documenting the business case for investing in a new or upgraded system. This can’t-miss paper makes the case that it is critical to document the business reasons for an investment in ERP. You’ll see the reasons to calculate the expected value to offset the cost. Identifying risk is part of the process, as is putting in plans to mitigate risk. This white paper by Ultra Consultants will identify five considerations to keep in mind when justifying an investment in ERP leveraging Ultra Consultants’ experience in helping manufacturers with this process. View the full white paper below!

Bill Remy is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at TBM Consulting and a member of the Board of Directors. He has 30plus years of leadership experience in general management and manufacturing operations. Bill’s areas of expertise include operational performance improvement through LeanSigma deployment in manufacturing operations, supply chain, product development and project management. He has experience in a broad array of business leadership positions across various industries including aerospace and defense, railway, industrial and agricultural equipment, technology and process automation. Bill returned to TBM in the summer of 2011 after working at Invensys as Vice President, Continuous Improvement. Prior to Invensys, Bill led the initiative Bill returned to TBM in the summer of 2011 after working at Invensys as Vice President, Continuous Improvement. Prior to Invensys, Bill led the initiative. This Q&A eBook with Bill Remy will touch on the ways that technology is transforming the manufacturing and supply chain industries, lean manufacturing, technology investments, and best practices for manufacturing managers. Read the full eBook below!

Previously many of these technologies were emerging on their own, but not considered collectively. With a recent push toward an integrated approach, the Internet of Things, the focused effort is much more clear. While efforts are being made to allow technologies to be more interchangeable and data non-exclusive, much of the progress thus far has been disjointed…. This Q&A eBook with Bossard, published by the Generis Group, highlights Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, full inventory transparency, and more! Bossard creates solutions that enable you to achieve higher productivity while helping you to surface your potential. Connect with Bossard at our American Supply Chain Summit taking place April 24-25th in Orlando, FL. Read the full eBook below:

As manufacturers struggle to fill highly skilled production positions—according to NAM (National Association of Manufacturers), “80 percent of manufacturers report a moderate or serious shortage of qualified applicants for skilled and highly skilled production positions”—technology may need to step in to fill the gap. As the article “Automation Today” by FARO Technologies states: “It’s no secret that manufacturing continues to become more automated, and manufacturing output per worker is on the rise.” Smart factories are sought after because they are quickly becoming the “factories of the future,” while growing changes in automation become difficult to ignore. Find out more about the latest advancements in optical 3D measurement and automation technology in the article below including: Advanced Manufacturing; Automated Metrology; and Cobalt.

Making Sense of IIoT Analytics | Automation World As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) picks up steam, attention is pivoting from connectivity to analytics, flooding manufacturers with a wave of new offerings that all promise to facilitate real business change. In the article below, find out how Sight Machine is integrating and visualizing data throughout the manufacturing industry. Sight Machine’s CEO and co-founder, Jon Sobel, explains that the company has created an automated intake process that refines data from incompatible factory floor systems and contextualizes it for subsequent analytics. Read the full article below to find out more!

C>R | C=a*b*d. What does this equation mean? Why is it critical to an ERP change management strategy? Successful ERP transformation projects must take many facets into consideration, in particular, people, processes and technology. Most projects address the process and technology portions, but have little or no focus on the people portion. For a transformation to be successful, it is the people component that is the most critical piece in order for the transformation to be successful. Download the full white paper below to discover the practical ways to apply current change management strategy models to prepare your business for an ERP transition. If you didn’t know the equation above, you’ll also find out the answer within! Read more below…

Even for small manufacturers, effectively capturing and using key performance indicators (KPIs) to take corrective actions can be difficult. But when a global company using a mix of manual, spreadsheet-based processes adds new acquisitions to the mix, the process challenges quickly compound. That’s part of the reason why in 2012 the team at ESCO Corporation knew it needed a better way to track and analyze KPIs across existing locations and new acquisitions. This article explains how your team can benefit from using Dploy® Solutions and increase your visibility while helping to summarize and monitor strategies and resources. For more information, read the full article below!